


Freund oder nicht

by SilverLynxx



Category: Rush (2013)
Genre: Fluff, Humour, James being a little shit, M/M, german dialogue, language barriers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-17 00:11:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3507860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverLynxx/pseuds/SilverLynxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James never misses an opportunity to wind Niki up, whether his parents are present or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freund oder nicht

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ardentstreet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ardentstreet/gifts).



> So this stemmed from a chat with Rabbitandcereals about how there is no word to differentiate between friend and boy/girlfriend in German, and how this could be pretty confusing. Then she dropped "Freund-Freund" on me for 'Boyfriend' (so coot) and just the thought of Niki saying that spurred this whole thing!
> 
> So thanks to Mysli & poisonblanche for reading over the German.

“Remember Hunt, you promised to be on your best behaviour,” Niki says tersely.

James rolls his eyes and looks out at the passing Vienna countryside whilst drumming his fingers on the car door, purposefully ignoring Niki’s irritable glance.

“Yes, Niki, I’m aware of what I said. I’ll use my Ps and Qs as appropriate and I’ve been practicing my curtsy,” he drawls, grinning as Niki snorts with amusement and they chuckle together. The atmosphere in the car lightens significantly, but Niki’s smile soon wears away as he pulls off the country road and gravel crunches beneath the tires.

Pulling up the extensive driveway of the estate, James leans forward until he’s almost pressed against his window and lets out a long, low whistle. “Christ, Ratty, I think you might have been a bit modest when you described this place as ‘your typical country house’.”

“Old money,” Niki responds simply as he kills the engine right outside the manor, but makes no attempt get out the car. Looking away from the imposing structure, James turns quizzically to his friend and finds him staring blankly at the steering wheel, lips pressed in a firm line.

“C’mon Niki,” James claps the younger man gently on the shoulder. “We’re just dropping in for a quick hello, a spot of lunch, then we’re off to race DDR, back to me beating your arse on the track.”

Niki laughs sharply, “You mean back to me helping you collect your car parts off the track after I’ve won!” he snipes back. James grins cheekily.

“Well we’ll see when we get there won’t we?” And with that he’s clambering out the car and slamming the door shut, making the Austrian wince before he reluctantly follows suit. The pale brick of the manor house is blinding in the sunlight, and the ivy crawling attractively up the front makes it seem like someone plucked it straight off a postcard. James leans back and shields his eyes with his hand to properly appreciate it as Niki comes up beside him.

“Are you ready to go inside now, or is there a chance you’ll wet yourself?”

James elbows Niki good naturedly and sweeps his arm out with an exaggerated bow.

“After you, your Majesty.”

Niki flips him off, but he’s smirking as he finally mounts the steps to the front door and gives the brass knocker three solid knocks.

It swings open almost immediately and they’re welcomed in by an impeccably dressed elder gentleman. “Herr Lauda, Ihre Eltern sind im Studierzimmer.”  
[ _Mr. Lauda. Your parents are in the study_ ]

“Danke, Fiser.”

“You know,” James muses as Niki leads them along a decadent hallway, “I forget you speak German.”

Niki looks at him oddly. “With this accent?”

“I rarely hear you speak it that the accent has just become a bit of a character quirk,” he shrugs. “A bit like your face.”

“You’re an asshole,” Niki deadpans as James grins unrepentantly.

“I know.”

Niki rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling, much to James’ delight.

They stop outside an intricately decorated wooden door and Niki takes a moment to release a pent up breath. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen my parents. My father and I did not leave on the best terms…” he explains. James hums in understanding and waits patiently for Niki to open the door.

Sunlight floods the room from a large arched window sited behind an antique desk and high-backed chair. The walls are lined with bookshelves and cabinets, and James has to tilt his head right back to see the high ceiling.

And here he’d thought he was the one with the posh upbringing.

“Niki,” a pretty middle-aged woman greets her son tenderly, and James notes that Niki has his mother’s eyes, and more amusingly her height as well.

Nerves forgotten Niki approaches without hesitation. He cups her smaller hands in his own and kisses her cheek with a matching smile, though his teeth are apparently unique. It only makes the whole thing sweeter really.

“Mutter,” Niki returns. “Vater,” he adds as he steps back and addresses the taller man at his mother’s side. The senior Lauda’s face is all hard lines with a mouth pinched into an evidently permanent frown. James struggles to see the resemblance between the stern be-suited businessman and his dorky, humorous companion.

“Andreas,” the man grunts, offering his hand which Niki shakes. There’s significantly less warmth in the exchange, and Niki is quick to retract his hand and suck on his teeth. James is pretty sure a cleaver would be required to cut the sudden tension.

Looking between her son and husband, Niki’s mother catches sight of James. The Brit smiles cheerfully at her as she touches her son’s shoulder to get his attention.

“Niki, wer ist deine Begleitung?”  
[ _Niki, who is your companion?_ ]

Breaking the staring contest with his father, Niki turns around with a creased brow and looks at James as if he’d completely forgotten he was there.

“Ah, das ist mein Freund, James Hunt, [ _Ah, this is my friend, James Hunt_ ]” he introduces with a brief smile and gesture in James’ direction.

The elder Laudas share a heavy look before his mother tentatively asks, “Dein Freund?”  
[ _Your friend/boyfriend?_ ]

Niki starts violently, and James cocks his head as the Austrian firmly insists “Nein! Nicht mein Freund-Freund!”  
[ _No! Not my friend-friend/boyfriend!_ ]

James’s grasp of German was sketchy at best, but even still it was impossible not to be aware of what was being said, and he feels a warm mixture of amusement and mischief unfurl in his chest. The situation seemed hilariously juvenile, but he’d be lying if he said the sight of Niki telling his parents he and James weren’t ‘friend-friends’ wasn’t endearing.

Niki’s mother seems to accept her son’s protest with a sedate smile while his father looks less convinced, and James simply can’t resist flustering Niki a little further.

“But I thought we were, Niki.”

He injects just the right amount of hurt and ambiguity into his words that Niki turns instantly and replies with thoughtless impatience, “Of course we are, idiot!” before he realises exactly what James’ had just implied.

Niki only manages a murderous look at the grinning blond before his father explodes into a fit of rapid-fire German and arm waving, all whilst spitting expletives that James hadn’t even heard from Niki. Mrs Lauda, and Niki himself, soon add to the noise, Niki trying to defend himself from his father’s angry finger jabbing while his mother attempts to mediate and reassure her son at the same time.

James surveys the result of his shenanigans for several minutes before he decides to aid his friend, who certainly looked flustered. Clearing his throat he calls crisply over the noise “Niki, would you like to be my Freund-Freund?”

The silence that follows is so sudden it’s deafening, and all three Lauda’s stare at James standing easily with his hands in his pockets as if he’d just bludgeoned their butler.

James only has eyes for Niki however as the young brunet stares at him with annoyance and an underlying uncertainty, and it’s not the first time James’ has the urge to smother his ratty little face in kisses.

“Bis-are you serious?”

James smiles sincerely in the face of Niki’s hesitance and nods readily, causing the man’s brow to furrow as he struggles for an answer under the anxious stare of James and his family. James tries not to let his smile waver, but his stomach knots with anticipation anyway as Niki sighs and turns to his parents.

“Mutter…Vater. Das ist James, mein ‘Freund-Freund’.”

As soon as it registers Niki’s father is off again, his incensed yelling echoing off the walls. This time neither Niki or his mother try to reason with him as he storms, still bellowing, out of the room.

Mrs Lauda sighs at the door but steps up to her son and cups his cheek with an honest smile. "Ich werde dich immer unterstützen, [ _I will always support you_ ] Niki." She says with a quiet intensity.

“Danke,” Niki mutters as James comes up beside him, slipping his hand into Niki’s and intertwining their fingers. His mother smiles contently at them both before following after her husband, and by the look in her eye as she leaves, James is glad he’s not in Mr. Lauda’s shoes.

“You are a prick.”

James grins. “I know,” he responds easily, then dips down to kiss Niki squarely on the lips.


End file.
